News for Now
Maryland is for (music) lovers and visas are always getting in the way of a good time.
Alright, Maryland. I think you may have finally won me over. I mean, I already loved you (or feared you?) after becoming obsessed with The Wire, but after hearing about the line-up for the upcoming Virgin Mobile FreeFest (on September 25 at Merriweather Post Pavillion), it's safe to say that I now lust after you as well. Check it: FOR FREE, you get to see Pavement, M.I.A., Sleigh Bells, LCD Soundsystem, T.I., Matt and Kim, Neon Indian, motherfucking Joan Jett, and others. Yeah. There are more awesome people showing up. So, who wants to snatch some cheap airfare to the East Coast come fall? This girl.
If there's anything I can respect, it's bands that realize the importance of archiving their work. As a result, I definitely respect Fugazi. According to Punknews.org, members of the band have been hard at work archiving every single live show that they've played. Apparently, they'll soon be launching a website where fans will be able to download said shows. So impressed by their personal librarian skills.
You know what sucks? A visa. Or, technically, not having one. I'm not sure if writing something like that will put me on the no-fly list, but COME ON, AMERICA. First, M.I.A.'s got visa issues. And now, the recently solo Kele (Bloc Party boy) has postponed his North American tour due to complications with his visa. It's hard out here for a (foreign) pimp. Have no fear, though--he's already rescheduled the tour for September, when he'll be joined by Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Posted by Alyssa Vincent on Jul 23, 2010 @ 12:12 pm
Business Casual Superstar
Rachel Berry makes me "Glee"ful. Did you see that? It's a pun. YOU'RE WELCOME.
I don't know if you guys are into fandom or not. Do you even know what it is? Do you frequent the blogs, the forums? Do you make fan art and fan vids and icons and fan mixes and fic? Do you LiveJournal? Yuku? InvisionFree? Proboards? Or do you have lives instead?
Chances are, you probably do fangurl (or fanboi, I suppose) things without even knowing it. Like, when you watch the Office.....
Posted by Huma Rashid on Jul 21, 2010 @ 11:11 am
News for Now
Klaxons ready their sophomore release, Pitchfork fest was off the chain, and some sad news for Big Star fans.
First things first--is it weird that I think labels Polydor and Matador should have some kind of cage fight? Probably, but I can't help pondering it whenever I see either one of those names. While I'm sure Klaxons doesn't really care about cage fights, I'm sure they care about starting the North American leg of their upcoming tour off with a bang. They're set to hit the states on September 19, and will grace us with their presence until October 9. Oh, and snatch up Surfing the Void when it drops on August 23.
I'm hoping that you checked in with us throughout the weekend for our stellar coverage of the hot-as-balls Pitchfork Festival. And if not, check it out now to remember what the hell happened! Even though I wasn't there in the flesh to freak out over all the amazing bands, I like to think I was there in spirit.
It's been a difficult year for Big Star. The band's original bassist, Andy Hummel, passed away on July 19 at the age of 59 after struggling with cancer for the past couple of years. Though he left the group in the mid-'70s, he played a memorable role in shaping their signature sound. He will surely be missed.
Posted by Alyssa Vincent on Jul 20, 2010 @ 10:10 am
News for Now
Liz Phair attempts to rationalize her RIDIC(ulously terrible) new album, and Vampire Weekend gets served.
This past Tuesday, Liz Phair--who really was sort of awesome at one point in her career--issued a statement about her shitshow of an album, Funstyle. Which, by the way, sounds like a tricked-out hairbrush that QVC would sell. Anyway, she stated on her website that while this latest effort lost her that nice record deal she had and her management, that she's on a journey, and she's going to keep sending us postcards. That means there's more to come from Lady Phair--cover your ears, children.
In better news, U2 has rescheduled their tour. Bono is "back" in action! Get it? Because he hurt his back? I'm too hilarious for my own good. All of the North American stadium dates have been pushed back to next summer, and original tickets are valid at these new and improved dates.
Hey, reunion tour! How you doin'? The "classic lineup" of Guided By Voices could be coming to a venue near you this fall. How excited do you think Times New Viking and Blitzen Trapper are to be opening for them? The tour kicks off on September 30 and runs until November 7.
And finally, there's some legal news to report. (Cue The People's Court theme). Vampire Weekend has been sued by that scared-looking girl on the cover of Contra for $2 million. Why? Because the gal (named Kirsten Kennis) is claiming that the signature on the photo release form was forged. Oooo damn! I wanna see how this gets cleared up. Otherwise, $2 million will buy her a whole lot of yellow polos.
Posted by Alyssa Vincent on Jul 16, 2010 @ 4:16 pm
Head to Head
What's the coolest hand-held weapon?
Ryan Peters:
Despite a lifetime spent watching samurai and cowboy movies, I know next to nothing about handheld weapons, due mostly to the fact that I am astonishingly uncoordinated...
Posted by Ryan Peters on Jul 15, 2010 @ 12:12 pm